In 2022, the summer before I graduated high school, I was invited to Sweden for an election campaign tour hosted by the Youth Organization of Centerpartiet—Sweden’s centrist party and sister organization of Germany’s Free Democratic Party (FDP) and its youth wing, the Young Liberals, which I’m actively involved in. Observing the campaign up close, I was struck by the close parallels between Sweden’s political landscape and that of Germany—and even other countries. That summer sparked a deep interest in international elections and ultimately inspired me to found Duke Election Exchange, a new club for studying and discussing global elections and comparative politics at Duke.
I could not have anticipated just how big an impact that experience would have on me. That summer, Sweden was in the midst of its parliamentary elections, and I had a front-row seat to the action. Despite the grueling 18-hour train ride there that included a night stranded in Frankfurt’s train station, the journey was worth every second. I explored not just Stockholm, but also Malmö, Norrköping, and the beautiful coastal village of St. Anna. The red wooden houses and serene countryside reminded me of Astrid Lindgren films I had watched as a child. But while the scenery was nostalgic, what truly left a lasting impression on me was the riveting political atmosphere.
From the first day, I was immersed in Sweden’s political scene: I attended a youth-led panel discussion in Malmö, canvassed in Norrköping’s city center, visited farms, and joined Stockholm’s Pride Parade. I gained insight into the election’s key issues, especially crime and public safety. Sweden was experiencing a troubling rise in gang-related violence, including shootings and bombings, and crime had risen to the forefront of national debate during the campaign. This surge gave momentum to the Sweden Democrats, a far-right party pushing for harsher penalties, expanded police powers, and stricter immigration policies.
What struck me most was how this mirrored political developments back home in Germany. The same themes—immigration, crime, and public safety—were also beginning to dominate German political discourse, especially during the European and German elections in 2024 and 2025. Just like in Sweden, Germany’s right-wing party, the AfD, used fear-based narratives to influence mainstream discourse and mainstream parties, in turn, shifted their positions in response. My experience in Sweden gave me a taste of what was to come in Germany’s most recent elections.
I have one very direct example of this. After a tragic incident in which an Afghan man with prior convictions killed a child and a kindergarten teacher in Aschaffenburg, Friedrich Merz, then a chancellor candidate for the center-right Christian Democratic Union of Germany (and now Germany’s chancellor), announced that his first act as chancellor would be to impose border controls—contrary to the Schengen Agreement, which allows for free movement across EU borders.
In doing so, he was attempting to win over some voters from the AfD, much as the centrist parties in Sweden were trying to do. But my experience in Sweden helped me see that Merz’s policy was instead backfiring, and instead validating the talking points of the far-right. This led me to a broader comparative political conclusion, that when mainstream parties adopt harsher stances on immigration, voters often choose the “original” over the imitation.
Seeing these parallels between Sweden and Germany—and noticing similar patterns emerging across Europe—sparked a deep interest in the international dynamics of elections. When I came to Duke, this interest led me to found Duke Election Exchange, where we dive into political and electoral systems across the world, while also bringing the conversation home and engaging in discussion around the American National Election Studies.
Over the past year, my belief in the global interconnectedness of elections has only deepened. Germany offers a striking example: its parliamentary elections were moved forward in response to shifting geopolitical realities, particularly the reelection of Donald Trump in the U.S. With American support for Ukraine expected to diminish, the EU—and especially Germany—faced pressure to step up. Chancellor Scholz proposed suspending Germany’s constitutionally mandated debt brake to provide financial aid to Ukraine. Finance Minister Christian Lindner opposed this, advocating instead for military aid without new debt. By November 2024, the coalition collapsed: Scholz dismissed Lindner, the FDP pulled out, and early elections were called. We’ve seen similar ripple effects in Canada. Canada, long dominated by a conservative prime minister, pivoted and elected a liberal, Mark Carney. His campaign addressed growing concerns over Canadian sovereignty and economic independence in the face of Trump’s isolationist policies.
And that’s only the beginning. From the role of authoritarian regimes in foreign elections to election observation to what makes a campaign successful, the world of elections is vast, controversial, and critical to understanding global politics. When I founded Duke Election Exchange, I didn’t fully anticipate the range of topics we would explore—but that’s what makes it so exciting. Whether you’re preparing to run a campaign for Duke Student Government, work as a campaign advisor, or pursue public office after college, understanding elections will give you a powerful foundation.
This global perspective is especially important given that foreign elections and the comparative study of electoral systems are largely overlooked in Duke’s political science curriculum. In fact, the only course that focuses specifically on elections—PS242 “Campaigns and Elections”—is limited to the American context and doesn’t address international cases. That’s the gap we aim to fill.
Our executive board includes seven passionate students, and we are advised by Academic Dean Dr. Mark Dalhouse, who teaches courses in American history, including in the FOCUS program. You may have attended one of our events during the German parliamentary elections, such as the visit from Dagmar Fahr, Honorary Consul Officer in Raleigh, or our German election watch party co-hosted with the Duke German Department.
Looking ahead, we’re planning more events, including an embassy trip to Washington, D.C. In the future, I hope more of my classmates will have the same amazing opportunity I had in Sweden observe an election up close. While our faculty advisor, Dr. Dalhouse, takes students to the Iowa Caucus every four years, that alone is not enough. At a time when elections—both at home and abroad—are increasingly under threat, it is essential that people understand how they function, recognize common patterns, and appreciate their fundamental value. My hope is that Duke will sponsor activities like that. We are committed to building such a collective program—and we will keep pushing forward.
by Anna Ortwein
If you’re interested in politics, international relations, or just curious about how elections shape the world, Duke Election Exchange would love to have you. Reach out anytime at dukeelectionexchange@gmail.com.
